Pocketed-carrier equipment.



E. A SISSON.

POCKETED CARRIER EQUIPMENT.

APPLICATlQN FILED JULY 11, 1917.

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TTNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

EUGENE A. SISSON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL PATENTS COMPANY, OF WOONSOCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

POCKETED-CARRIER EQUIPMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed July 17, 1917. Serial No. 181,035.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE A. Srsson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pocketed-Carrier Equipments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention comprises improvements in pocketed carriers made of woven material, of the class embracing cartridge-carriers, hospital corps belts, medical ofiicers belts, and various other carriers having special adaptations.

The invention relates, more particularly, to the pockets, pocket-covers or flaps, and means of securing the latter in closed condition, of carriers of the class just mentioned.

One special object of the invention is to produce carriers of woven material haying pockets with smooth fronts. Another is to reduce the bulk and extent of projection of a pocket and its cover or flap when the latter is closed and fastened. Another is to so apply and locate the covers or flaps that they will be less likely to become caught upon obj ects in the movements of the wearer of the carrier, and pulled open. Another is to permit the use of less expensive fasteners than those heretofore found to be necessary. Another is to reduce the amount of material contained in a cover or flap, and thereby lessen cost. Another is to improve the appearance of a carrier.

The invention consists, essentially, in a pocketed carrier of woven material, having a pocket cover or flap of woven material attached to the pocket-front and rising from the latter, the said cover or flap adapted when unfastened to be bent forward away from over the pocket and its contents into unclosed position, and to be folded rearward over the top of the pocket and its contents into closed condition, and having also one member of a cover or flap-fastening device mounted at the rear of the pocket above the top of the latter and a cooperating member carried by the cover or flap.

Heretofore in usual practice the place of attachment of a cover or flap has been at the rear of the pocket with which it has been combined, and for the purpose of covering and closing the pocket the cover or flap has been arranged to extend forward over the top of the pocket and its contents and down in front of the pocket. One member of the usual fastener-device has been attached to the pocket-front and the other to the cover or flap near its free end, which latter usually has its corners turned under and stitched to form a point. This general construction has a number of material drawbacks and disadvantages to which reference is made later herein, and which are overcome by the invention.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, in which latter Figure 1 is a perspective view showing three of the pockets of a cartridge-carrier, and one of the said embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the open pocket of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of one of the closed pockets of Fig.1.

Figs. 4 to 10, are vertical sections showing other embodiments of the invention.

Referring to the drawings,

The pockets 1, 1, 1, may be woven integral with the supporting-band or backing 2, which is regarded as best in practice, or may be separately made in approved manner, (either by Weaving them as pockets or by stitching them into shape), and attached to the said supporting-band or backing.

The pocket-cover or flap 3, Figs. 1, 2, 3, is a short piece of woven material which is attached by one end thereof to the pocketfront. The said piece is of a width hearing approved relations to that of a pocket with which it is combined, and is of a length to enable it to extend rearward over the top of the pocket and its contents and become engaged with a portion of the carrier at the rear of the pocket. In other words, the proportions of the cover or flap are such as to afford in practice the required protection to the pocket contents, as in the case of the two closed pockets in Fig. 1, as well as provided for the interengagement of the cooperating members of the fastenerdevice or devices. The Width preferably will be such that when the cover or flap is bent backward over the tops of the clips and cartridges (for example) contained in the pocket, the side margins will tend to curve around the ends of the clips, etc.

This creates a protective device, assisting to retain the clips in the pocket after the pocket has been opened. The fastening means for keeping the cover or flap closed comprises, in the illustrated form thereof, fastener-members 5 and 6 of the well-known glove-fastener or ball-and-socket type, the said members respectively being applied to an elevated portion 7 of the carrier at the rear of the pocket, and the cover or flap 3, respectively. In the closed and fastened condition of the cover or flap it extends rearward over the top of the pocket and its contents, and its free end-portion bends upward at or at nearly right-angles, with fastener-member 6 engaged with fastenermember 5.

The cover or flap 3 in Figs. 1, 2, 3 of the drawings is applied to the pocket-front by entering one end of the same into the pocket, and making the inserted portion fast to the inner side of the pocket-front by stitches 4. The depth to which the inserted portion extends down within the pocket may vary in practice, and such portion, if de sired, may be of a length suitable to constitute an interior reinforce for the pocketfront, pocket-bottom, and pocket-back, as in the case of cover-piece 3 in Fig. 8, or for the front and bottom, as in the case of cover-piece 3 in Fig. 9, or for the front alone, as in the case of cover-piece 5 in Fig. 10. In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the inner extremity of the inserted portion of the coverpiece is secured in place by an additional line, 4 of fastening stitches. Other fastening means than stitches may be employed for securing the inserted portion of the cover or flap in place, such for instance as rivets or eyelets. In some instances the attaching portion of the cover or flap may be applied exteriorly to the pocket-front, as in Fig. 4:. Other modes of attachment are shown in the remaining views, as described below.

The cover or flap 3 is a very short piece ofv woven web. It requires no expensive pointing. It is shown as finished with a plain hem. If desired, the hem may be dispensed with and the raw edge at the outer end of the cover or flap may be merely whipped to prevent raveling.

The elevated portion 7 at the rear of the pocket, to which the member 5 of the fas tener-device is applied, may be a separate strip having one margin thereof seated and fastened in a housing-slit formed at the rear of the pocket, as for instance in the supporting band or backing 2, as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 The fastening of the said margin in the said housing-slit may be effected by a line of stitches 8 passing through the two sides of the housing-slit and the interposed portion of the said strip, or by other approved securing means, as for instance eyelets or other rivets. Or the said elevated portion may be integral with the rear of the pocket; for instance, it may be woven upon the top of the supporting-band or backing 2, as at 7 in Fig. 4. The said elevated portion may be continuous throughout the length of a series of pockets, as in Fig. l, or it may be of a length suitable for a single pocket.

Fig. 5 shows a modification in which the lower end of cover or flap 3 is seated in a housing-slit formed in the pocket-front, and secured therein by stitches 45*. Other fastening means may be employed.

Fig. 6 shows a modification in which, in efiect, housing-slits are formed in the lower ends of the portion 7 and cover or flap 3 into which the upper marginal port-ions of the pocket-back and pocket-front are entered. In other words the said lower ends are formed, as by weaving, with a division or split which enables them to straddle the said marginal portions. The fastening of the portion 7 and cover or flap 3 to the pocket-back and pocket-front is shown as effected by stitches 8 r although other approved fastening means may be employed.

Fig. 7 shows a modification in which the flap 3, is integral with the pocket-front.

A pocket-cover or flap made in accordance with the invention does not extend down in front of the pocket, as in the case of covers or flaps heretofore provided in connection with the pockets of carriers of the class to which the invention relates. The advantages of the invention are numerous and important, namely:

(1.) The front of the pocket is smooth. This is shown clearly by the drawings.

(2.) The bulk and extent of projection of a pocket and its cover or flap when the latter is closed are much less than in the case of the usual cover or flap extending down in front of the pocket, as aforesaid, and having the interengaging members of the fastener-device applied to the pocket-front and the depending portion of the cover or flap, respectively. Hence the prominence of the pockets while the carrier is being worn is reduced. Thereby it is rendered possible to increase the holding capacity of the pockets, when desired, without material increase in the bulk and projection of the filled and covered or closed pockets. For instance, the present regulation cartridge belt has pockets carrying only two clips of cartridges each, as in the drawings, and if the pockets were enlarged to hold three clips would be open to the objection that the filled pockets would stand out too far from the body of the wearer. The invention renders it practicable to give the pockets capacity for hold ing three clips of cartridges, or a corresponding bulk of other articles.

(8.) The flap or cover and fastener-devices located at the top of the pocket are out of the way and shielded so that they are free from liability to catch upon adjacent objects. Carriers having covers or flaps of usual character, etc., are open to the objection that in woods, brush, or jungle, the said covers or flaps are caught by twigs, thorns, etc., and pulled open, resulting in loss of ammunition or other contents.

(4.) For use with covers or flaps of usual character, etc., fastener-devices of ordinary character suitable for employment in connections in general have been found wholly inadequate. It has been found necessary to develop expensive types of fastener-devices which can give reasonable promise of not being opened accidentally, in the jungle, for example. The snap-action must be exceedingly strong, and from this a difficulty arises in its being found too strong sometimes, and when a fastener-device having such strong snap-action is choked with dust it may be beyond the power of the soldier or other wearer of the carrier to open the cover or flap. With fastener-devices positioned over the tops of the pockets where there is almost no possibility of their being opened by accident, it is possible to use light easy-action fastener-devices of greatly reduced cost, such as could not be used if required to be positioned at the front of a pocket on the prior form, etc., of cover or flap.

(5.) A cover or flap such as those shown in the drawings contains a much smaller amount of material than covers or flaps of the form, etc., heretofore usual. This materially reduces the cost.

(6.) The cover or flap does not require to be pointed in the manner heretofore customary.

(7.) When the cover or flap is turned forward as in Figs. 1 and 2, it is out of the way at the front of the pocket and less likely to interfere with access to the contents of the pocket and withdrawal of such contents.

What is claimed as the invention is A pocketed carrier belt or the like article of woven material having a pocket-cover or flap of woven material attached to the pocket-front and rising therefrom, adapted when unfastened to be bent forward away from over the pocket and its contents into unclosed condition, and to be folded rearward over the top of the pocket and its contents into closed condition, said carrier having also an upward extension rising from the rear of the pocket and having one member of a cover or flap-fastening device mounted above the top of the pocket upon the said extension and a cooperating member carried by the cover or flap.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. EUGENE A. SISSON.

Witnesses:

EVERETT H. WARREN. ALICE M. TISDALE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, 1). 6. 

